2002 Expo & Conference
	The Wellington Macintosh Society Incorporated hosted the inaugural New Zealand Macintosh User Groups Conference during the Queens Birthday weekend on Sunday 2 June 2002. The conference was preceded by a two day Digital Solutions Expo, jointly organised by WelMac and two Wellington Macintosh resellers, Econet Ltd and MagnumMac Ltd. This event was held on Friday 31 May and Saturday 1 June in the 3rd Floor Concourse of Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. Around 1200 visitors attended the expo with close to half of those attending indicating that they were professional users of computers. There was a good range of new technology on display with an emphasis on products engaged in the digital media section ranging from digital cameras to printers. There were also a number of broadcast and professional video suppliers and production companies exhibiting. A good range of seminars covering the digital media sector were held during the two days with those on the Friday being targeted more for the professional user and the Saturday ones for the home user. A keynote Address was held in the Soundings Theatre, a 300 seat auditorium on Te Papa's second floor, where a live performance of the local rock band 'Very First Day' was recorded on both video and sound tapes. This was followed by a presentation by Paul Johnston, the General Manager of Renaissance New Zealand Ltd's Apple Division, where he gave those present a look at the recently announced technologies for the digital hub concept being promoted by Apple Computer Inc. Jon Labrie of Weta Digital, the Wellington based special effects company engaged in the production of the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, gave an inspiring look into the methods they utilised in the production of the first movie, 'Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Ring'. Finally, a rather quickly pieced together video clip done in Apple's Final Cut Pro of the rock bands earlier performance was shown to the raptuous applause of the crowd. The Sunday morning saw the gathering of the twenty one delegates from the four groups represented at the inaugural New Zealand Mac User Groups Conference in the Johnsonville Community Centre. Following a morning coffee session, the delegates split into three groups to discuss topics related to the organising and running of Mac User Groups. Lunch provided by the hosts followed and the afternoon session commenced with a short official welcome by David Empson, the President of the host group. Paul Johnston, from Renaissance New Zealand Ltd, gave a presentation on a soon to be announced advertising promotion his company is undertaking. Paul outlined the benefits that could be achieved with the creation of a New Zealand wide organisation assigned with the task of co-ordinating the activities of member Mac User Groups. This was followed by a wide range of questions from many of the delegates who took the opportunity to query Apple's head representative in New Zealand. Afternoon coffee was followed by a formal meeting to adopt the proposition of the forming of a New Zealand national organisation. The meeting enthusiastically discussed the possibilities to be enjoyed by the creation of such an organisation. A motion put to the meeting in this regard was passed unopposed with Graeme Moffatt being elected the President and David Empson being elected Secretary/Treasurer. It was decided that these positions would be changed annually with the host group providing both officers. A lively discussion about a name for the new organisation took place with the Macintosh User Groups in New Zealand (MUGiNZ) being agreed by the majority of the meeting. The Apple Users Group of Canterbury offered to host the 2003 Conference at a date and venue yet to be finalised. A small number of delegates decided to embark on a tour of the Wrights Hill Fortress, a Second World War Long Range Gun Battery built on the top of one of Wellington's many hills. The construction began in 1942 as the Japanese were surgeing through the Pacific and it was feared New Zealand would be invaded. It comprised three 9.2 inch guns that could fire a 900mm 172 Kg shell up to 29 kilometres, almost across the nearby Cook Strait. With much of the installation including the Command Centre and a power generating plant placed underground, the three gun emplacments and magazines were linked by 620 metres of tunnels. As the threat lessened, the completion of the fortress was carried out at a more leisurely pace and was eventually completed in 1944. After the war was over, the army was granted permission to test fire one of the guns with three shells being fired into Cook Strait. In 1958, the fortress was decommissioned by the army and the cut up guns were ironically sold to the Japanese as scrap metal. In 1988, the Karori Lions Club cleaned up and opened the tunnels to the public. The Wrights Hill Restoration Society now administers the site and opens it to the public on Anzac day and long weekends.